America’s fastest-rising jobs over the next decade will come mostly from hospitals, therapy offices and home care agencies, not from the artificial intelligence (AI) boom that has dominated recent economic headlines, according to new projections released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday.
Nurse practitioners are set to be the single fastest-growing occupation in the country, with employment expected to climb 41 percent between 2025 and 2035, the agency found. The role, which pays a median salary of $132,300 a year, is followed by solar photovoltaic installers at 37 percent growth and data scientists at 35 percent.
Wind turbine service technicians round out the top four with 30 percent growth. Even so, federal researchers noted that solar and wind installers combined are expected to add fewer than 15,000 jobs by 2035 because the fields remain small.
Health care emerges as the nation’s biggest job engine
The broader picture points toward health care as the true engine of job creation. Healthcare support workers are projected to grow 13.3 percent, the fastest of any major occupational group, while healthcare practitioners and technical workers follow at 8 percent.
The U.S. economy is projected to add 5.9 million jobs from 2025 to 2035, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Total employment is projected to increase from 170.3 million to 176.2 million and grow 3.5%, which is slower than the 10.9% growth recorded over the… pic.twitter.com/CMB2PoPAHd
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Together, the two groups are expected to account for nearly a third of all new jobs added through 2035. Researchers linked the surge to an aging population and rising rates of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Overall, the U.S. economy is expected to add 5.9 million jobs over the decade, pushing total employment from 170.3 million to 176.2 million. That amounts to 3.5 percent growth, a notable slowdown from the 10.9 percent expansion recorded between 2015 and 2025.
Where America’s fastest-rising jobs intersect with AI growth
Even as the debate over automation and AI continues, the data make clear that America’s fastest-rising jobs are being shaped as much by demographics as by technology. Still, AI’s fingerprints are visible elsewhere.
Computer and mathematical occupations are projected to grow 7.3 percent, with data scientists and computer and information research scientists both ranking among the ten fastest-growing roles. Professional, scientific and technical services, a sector tied closely to AI research and consulting, is expected to grow 8.6 percent and add nearly 927,000 jobs.
The technology’s effect is not entirely positive for workers. Office and administrative support occupations are projected to shrink 4 percent, shedding about 752,100 jobs, the steepest decline of any group, as automation tools take over routine tasks.
Sales and related occupations are also expected to decline slightly, a trend researchers tied partly to AI-assisted e-commerce.
Top 10 fastest-growing occupations in America between 2025-2035
10. Ophthalmic medical technicians: 21% growth
9. Occupational therapy assistants: 21% growth
8. Computer and information research scientists: 22% growth
7. Psychiatric technicians: 22% growth
6. Physical therapist assistants: 23% growth
5. Medical and health services managers: 24% growth
4. Wind turbine service technicians: 30% growth
3. Data scientists: 35% growth
2. Solar photovoltaic installers: 37% growth
1. Nurse practitioners: 41% growth
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